Donald Trump’s Bluff and His House of Cards

Tell the truth – or trump, but get the trick.

Mark Twain

In announcing for President, Donald Trump portrayed America as a House of Cards ready to collapse.

Trump said, “The American dream is dead.” As evidence, he cited Mexico as our business enemy number one; Iran as malevolent devil developing nuclear weapons to obliterate Israel; our crushing and growing $18 billion, soon to be $20 trillion or even $24 trillion; national debt; jobs exported abroad due to our leader’s bungling business incompetence; the incompetent handling of the Pacific trade agreement that will take over American businesses and steal our money; the “lie” of ObamaCare and the growing entitlement overreach; duplicitous double-talk by politicians and both sides of the political aisle.

The announcement was a big bluff. It was rich in card-playing metaphors – the collapse of the House of Cards, apocalyptic forewarning of hard truths as in inside straight, the flamboyant body language and patriotic background indicating a winning hand. All of this in a bluff to win the first trick, which is gaining a place on the first New Hampshire debate as one of the top ten polling Republicans.

The announcement was a clever use. Trump knows Americans are hungry, even desperate, for straight no-nonsense talk about what’s wrong with America and simple solutions on how to fix it. No sugar-coating. No beating around the Bushes. Just the hard truths as Trump sees them. It was The Art of the Deal on the national state. It was a bet that the public will dismiss critic’s arguments of Trump as a self-aggrandizing, confrontational, unrealistic bigot.

We shall see if Trump wins the first trick. We shall see political opponents trump Trump. We shall see if Trump becomes the Energizing Bunny or sinks as a Mad Hare from Alice in Wonderland.